Lorain County Fair visitors return as vendors

Lamp worker Jason Nichols creates a Christmas bulb ornament while in his mobile studio at the Lorain County Fair.

Some of the things that attract visitors to the Lorain County Fair every year is the chance to indulge in the food, pet the animals and spend money at the unique shops that line the pathways that snake their way through the Wellington property.
In the case of Megan and Jason Nichols, the love of the event turns patrons into vendors where they can open up shop the week the fair is open.
The Nichols’ are lamp workers, which is an alternate type of glass blower. After visiting the fair for many years, the couple decided — after recently obtaining their vendor’s license — to set up a mobile studio to give visitors a glimpse of their work.
Lamp working differs from traditional glass blowing by the technique and materials used in the process, Jason Nichols said Aug. 22.
“We take a solid rod or hollow glass tubing rod and form it into everything from bird feeders, jewelry and snow globes,” he said.
The process starts with a five-foot section of tubing is broken into smaller pieces called “points” and spinning the pieces or shaping them in front of a high temperature torch. Traditional glass blowing uses a furnace to heat the glass and traditional glass blowers usually create their own glass from scratch.
The Nichols’ use pre-made borosilicate glass rods commonly found in Pyrex glassware to create custom projects for fair visitors. The couple’s motto is “you name it, we make it,” and fair attendees have the opportunity to watch an item they desire made right in front of them while they wait, Jason Nichols said.
Megan Nichols started lamp working 13 years ago after a friend introduced her to it and then taught it to her husband. Through trial and error and even videos on YouTube, the couple has expanded their techniques to produce items that their customers ask for.
Some of the more popular creations are custom 4-H pendants for children participating in the fair. These small ornate pieces of glass can have names or on them or be made into various shapes and worn like a necklace, Jason Nichols said.
The Nichols have worked on custom projects ranging from archery targets to a S air trap tube for a home brewery system.
“A lot of it is just experimenting, just making projects up as you go and you may try something and then realize you have created a new technique,” Jason Nichols said.
The Nichols’ said that they have had a good time at the fair this year and are glad they decided to set up their studio.
“It’s been steady throughout the week, and we hope the weekend will bring people out to see our items and see what we are doing,” Megan Nichols said. “We are definitely coming back next year.”